Our Favorite Cinco De Mayo Drink Recipes

Design Your Cinco De Mayo Cocktail Recipes

Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner! This May 5th, Cinco De Mayo will once again be observed as a celebration of freedom, democracy, and Mexican heritage and pride.

No matter what your home bar looks like, we’re here to help you get your Cinco de Mayo cocktail recipe list in order! Whether your home bar is a world-class stunner (like when Peter Salerno Inc. turned a ’59 Corvette into the most amazing bar in the world), or a more humble affair, Cinco De Mayo is the perfect time get behind your custom bar (built by Peter Salerno, of course!) and wow your guests with an assortment of amazing Cinco De Mayo drink recipes.

Here are Peter Salerno's favorite Cinco De Mayo drink recipes. (Credit Wiki)
Here are our favorite Cinco De Mayo drink recipes. (Credit Wiki)

Every year, we check out Delish for their updated list of Cinco de Mayo drink recipes – specifically their outstanding collection of updated margarita recipes. From the Bulldog Margarita (you MUST try this if you’re a fan of citrus) to their Perfect Cuervo Margarita, consider this your go-to margarita recipe source for this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration!

So let’s check out some of our favorite Cinco De Mayo drink recipes, courtesy of our friends at Delish.

Design Your Lifestyle’s Favorite Cinco De Mayo Drink Recipes

All drink recipes courtesy of Delish.

Bulldog Margarita (our latest favorite!)

Ingredients

  • 4 c. ice
  • 2/3 c. lime juice
  • 1 c. tequila
  • 1/4 c. Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 4 tbsp. sugar
  • Coarse salt, for rim
  • 4 Coronitas (7 oz. each)
  • Skewers topped with sliced citrus, for garnish

Directions

  1. Combine ice, lime juice, tequila, Cointreau and sugar in a blender, pulsing to combine.
  2. Place salt on a shallow plate. Dip the rim of each glass in lime juice or water, then in the salt.
  3. Fill each glass with margarita mixture. Pop the caps off of the Coronita bottles, then flip each one upside-down into the margarita glass. (A little beer will empty into the cup, but once the neck of the bottle has sunk into the frozen margarita, it will stop pouring out.)
  4. Garnish each with a fruit skewer and serve.

La Paloma Margarita

Ingredients

  • 1½ oz. Don Julio Reposado Tequila
  • 4 oz. grapefruit soda
  • 1 wedge lime

Directions

  1. Add Don Julio Reposado Tequila and grapefruit soda in salt-rimmed, ice-filled highball glass.
  2. Garnish with lime wedge.

Perfect Cuervo Margarita

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce(s) Jose Cuervo Especial
  • 3 ounce(s) Jose Cuervo Lime Margarita Mix
  • 1 wedge(s) lime
  • 1 teaspoon(s) salt

Directions

  1. Rub rim of a chilled margarita glass with half a lime.
  2. Dip into salt to coat.
  3. In a shaker with ice, add José Cuervo Especial and José Cuervo Lime Margarita Mix.
  4. Shake vigorously.
  5. Strain into the margarita glass.
  6. Garnish with lime wedge.

Cucumber-Jalapeno Margarita

Ingredients

  • Coarse sea or kosher salt
  • 1 lime wedge
  • 1/2 cup(s) peeled, finely diced cucumber, plus a cucumber slice for garnish
  • 4 slice(s) (or up to 6 slices; thin) jalapeño, with seeds
  • 1/4 cup(s) cilantro sprigs
  • 3/4 ounce(s) (1 1/2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 ounce(s) (1 1/2 teaspoons) light agave nectar
  • 2 ounce(s) (1/4 cup) 100-percent blue agave silver tequila
  • 1/2 ounce(s) (1 tablespoon) Cointreau or triple sec

Directions

  1. Pour an even layer of salt on a plate. Rub the rim of an 8-ounce rocks glass or tumbler with lime wedge and invert glass into salt to coat rim.
  2. Combine cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and agave nectar in a 2-cup cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or pestle, gently muddle mixture.
  3. Fill the shaker halfway with ice, then add tequila and Cointreau. Cover and shake well until shaker is frosty and cold.
  4. Fill prepared glass with ice. Strain margarita into it and garnish with the cucumber slice.

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Red, White and Blue Sangria Recipes from Epicurious

Red, White, and Blue Sangria Recipes for July 4th

Independence Day 2016 may have passed by, but the entire 4th of July week is a great time to gather family, friends and loved ones for a party, barbecue or cookout. It’s also the perfect opportunity to reflect on our independence, what it means to be American, and celebrate our heritage.

July 4th Red, White and Blue Sangria recipes (recipes & photo courtesy Epicurious)
July 4th Red, White and Blue Sangria recipes (recipes & photo courtesy Epicurious)

July 4th is also a great time (for our friends of legal drinking age) to celebrate with a fantastic cocktail! But how can you incorporate the 4th of July into your cocktail recipe this year? Peter Salerno Inc. has found the best 4th of July drink recipes around!

Leave it up to the fine folks at Epicurious to deliver with their Red, White and Blue Sangria recipes. These July 4th cocktail recipes are sure to please a variety of palates, and they couldn’t be easier to make – or more enjoyable!

The 3 Epicurious sangria recipes for Red (Dubonnet), White (Pineapple), and Blue (Cucumber-Vermouth) range from sweet to savory, and will leave your party guests begging for seconds – or thirds! Try serving a pitcher of each sangria recipe this 4th of July, and make your Independence Day party a hit!

Epicurious Red, White and Blue Sangria Recipes

Red Sangria: Dubonnet Sangria Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 orange cut into wedges, plus 1 orange sliced into half wheels
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters, plus 1 lemon thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces Cognac
  • 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more to taste
  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Dubonnet rouge
  • 6 dashes Angostura bitters (optional)
  • 2 cups cold sparkling water

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the orange wedges, lemon quarters, Cognac, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, press down on the fruit mixture until the juice is released and the sugar is dissolved. Add the Dubonnet and stir to combine. Strain the mixture into a large pitcher and discard the fruit. Add the orange half wheels, lemon slices, and bitters, if using. Stir gently to combine then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, add the sparkling water, then carefully fill the pitcher with ice and stir to combine. Taste and add additional sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.

White Sangria: Pineapple Sangria Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 small pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 2 ounces simple syrup
  • 4 ounces white rum or 2 ounces each of light and aged rum
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 lime, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cold sparkling water
  • 1 to 2 ounces Maraschino liqueur (optional)

Preparation

In a large pitcher, combine 2 cups pineapple, white wine, simple syrup, and rum. Stir gently then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add the coconut water, lime juice, lime slices, and sparkling water. Add the Maraschino liqueur, if using, then carefully fill the pitcher with ice and stir to combine. Garnish glasses with the remaining pineapple, if desired, or add the fruit to the pitcher.

Blue Sangria: Cucumber-Vermouth Sangria Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry vermouth such as Dolin
  • 1 ounce blue or orange curaçao liqueur
  • 1 ounce simple syrup or more to taste
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 2 ounces dry gin
  • 2 cups cold sparkling water
  • 1/2 to 1 ounce Maraschino liqueur (optional)
  • Mint for garnish

Preparation

In a large pitcher, combine the lemon slices, cucumber slices, and vermouth. Stir gently then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, add the curaçao, simple syrup, lemon juice, gin, sparkling water, and Maraschino liqueur, if using. Carefully fill the pitcher with ice and stir to combine. Garnish glasses with mint, plus additional lemon and cucumber slices.

Thank you to Epicurious for these outstanding recipes!

We Love Epicurious’ Spring Brunch Cocktails! [RECIPES]

We Love Epicurious’ Spring Brunch Cocktails! [RECIPES]

See Our Favorite Epicurious Brunch Cocktails for Spring

Avid readers of this blog will know the long love affair that the staff of Peter Salerno Inc. has with the staff of Epicurious. For years, Epicurious has been a go-to source for inspiration for Peter Salerno and his team; after all, nothing complements a world-class kitchen design better than world-class food and drink recipes.

Epicurious' spring 2016 cocktail recipes are sure to satisfy! (Photo: Wiki Commons)
Epicurious’ spring 2016 cocktail recipes are sure to satisfy! (Photo: Wiki Commons)

With spring finally in the air after a long cold snap in the Northeast, nothing seemed more appropriate than to find some fresh cocktail recipes for springtime. Wouldn’t you know it – Epicurious was the place to turn!

“Spring Cocktails Perfect For Brunch” by Carolina Santos-Neves is a delicious walk-through of some of the most unique, delectable cocktail recipes for Spring 2016. One thing’s for sure – these are NOT your run-of-the-mill cocktail recipes. We absolutely love the novelty and creative spirit behind Carolina’s article and the recipes put forth by Epicurious.

The slideshow of recipes and beautiful photography begins with recipes for Rhubarb Collins and Peach Prosecco. After those two cocktails take you on a journey from tart to sweet fruit, the cocktail tour continues with the sugary citrus blend of Rabbit Punch (submitted by Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles).

Our personal favorite recipe on the list is the freshly-named Dandy Lion, a cucumber-muddled spin on the classic gin & tonic recipe that will leave any spring cocktail party guest begging for another round! The gin and sage combination in The Buckley (from Bar 308 in Nashville) is a savory way to wrap up this short-but-brilliant tour of new spring cocktail recipes.

Whether you love sweet or tart, fruity or savory, this masterful list of spring cocktail recipes from Carolina Santos-Neves and Epicurious is sure to satisfy!

Thank you to Epicurious and the author, Carolina Santos-Neves, for their article “Spring Cocktails Perfect For Brunch”. All credit for these recipes goes to the original source.

Peter Salerno’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipe: “The Lover” From HGTV

Peter Salerno’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipe: “The Lover” From HGTV

Try Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Cocktail, Courtesy of HGTV

It’s an all-year love affair between Peter Salerno Inc. and HGTV! Peter and his team are blessed to be featured designers on HGTV’s official website, and were honored with a prestigious 2016 HGTV People’s Choice Award at this year’s KBIS convention.

So when it comes to finding the perfect Valentine’s Day cocktail recipe for 2016, it makes complete sense that Peter Salerno’s favorite comes directly from HGTV!

Enjoy this Valentine's Day 2016 cocktail recipe from HGTV!
Enjoy this Valentine’s Day 2016 cocktail recipe from HGTV!

“The Lover” is a Mediterranean-inspired aperitif featuring a blend of fresh Italian tastes – including Prosecco and Limoncello. Add in Cointreau, vodka and a splash of grenadine, and this fiery red cocktail will certainly spark the inspiration of love inside of you this Valentine’s Day!

On its official website, HGTV’s Stephen Phillips says the following about “The Lover” cocktail: “Channel the erotic spirit, passion and lust of Casanova with an amorous aperitif from the coast of Amalfi.”

Consider us sold!

Thank you to Stephen Phillips and the wonderful people at HGTV for this Valentine’s Day cocktail recipe. For all things Valentine’s Day 2016, be sure to check out HGTV.com!

Peter Salerno’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipe

“The Lover” (Courtesy of HGTV)

Ingredients

1 bottle chilled Prosecco
1/2 oz. Limoncello
1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Dash of grenadine, for color
Maraschino cherry

Preparation

In a shaker of ice, pour Limoncello, vodka and Cointreau and shake for 20 seconds. Pour this medley into a tall fluted glass. Fill the rest of the glass with Prosecco. Add a touch of grenadine and stir gently, and drop a maraschino cherry into the glass.

Peter Salerno Inc. Presents Halloween Bloody Mary Recipe

Peter Salerno Inc. Presents Halloween Bloody Mary Recipe

Halloween Cocktail Recipe from Epicurious!

As avid readers of the official Peter Salerno Inc. blog know, we’re absolutely crazy about Epicurious, one of the best recipe websites in the world. From fine dining to simple treats, Epicurious always provides the very best recipes for any occasion – and Halloween is no exception!

When it comes to Halloween recipes, the adults should have as much fun as the kids! That’s why for 2015, we’re foregoing the usual “Halloween sweet treats” recipe for a holiday spin on a classic cocktail. Epicurious whipped up an absolutely brilliant Aquavit Bloody Mary Halloween cocktail that will put the “treat” in any adult Halloween party!

Halloween aquavit bloody mary recipe courtesy of Epicurious (photo credit: Wiki Commons)
Halloween aquavit bloody mary recipe courtesy of Epicurious (photo credit: Wiki Commons)

It’s a Halloween cocktail recipe that’s as popular and it is easy to make. Adding aquavit to the classic Bloody Mary recipe revitalizes an old standard and provides a spicy kick that adds a delightful “scare” to your Halloween cocktail party!

Enjoy with friends (of legal drinking age of course!) in your custom kitchen, bar, or man cave, which can be created by Peter Salerno Inc., winners of 30 national design awards since 2002!

Halloween Bloody Mary Recipe (courtesy of Epicurious)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup aquavit, chilled
  • 1 quart tomato or tomato-vegetable juice such as V8, chilled
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce such as Tabasco
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Garnish: lemon slices; small celery ribs

Serve in a martini or highball glass; yields 6 drinks

From Peter Salerno’s Kitchen: Caramel Apple Martini Cocktail Recipe

From Peter Salerno’s Kitchen: Caramel Apple Martini Cocktail Recipe

Caramel Apple Martini Recipe courtesy of FoodViva.com

The weekend of October 4, 2014, was an exceptionally beautiful one for many reasons. The rain cleared on Saturday afternoon, making way for a crisp, classic autumn weekend in New Jersey. The sun poked its face out of the clouds much of the weekend, and the cold air held off just long enough to make a beautiful October weekend outdoors possible.

Caramel Apple Martini, the official drink of a beautiful October wedding.
Caramel Apple Martini, the official drink of a beautiful October wedding.

For Peter Salerno, his family, friends, and the Peter Salerno Inc. team, it was especially beautiful. Gabrielle Salerno, the head of Customer Relations and Social Media Outreach for Peter Salerno Inc., married the love of her life (the wonderful Brian Mayer), and Mr. and Mrs. Mayer were the focal point of an intimate and stunning wedding and beautiful reception.

In honor of the newly-minted couple, Peter Salerno and his family have chosen to share Gabrielle & Brian’s “special” reception cocktail with you all today – a sweet Caramel Apple Martini that will perk you up on a cool fall day. While the reception venue (the Estate at Florentine Gardens) has its own proprietary recipe for a Caramel Apple Martini, Peter Salerno Inc. has found its own favorite recipe for the drink online.

The lovely Caramel Apple Martini cocktail recipe in question is courtesy of FoodViva, and it’s a perfect marriage (much like Gabrielle and Brian!) of laid-back and appealing.

So if you’re 21 and over, and you love the idea of a smooth cocktail on a fall day, then make yourself a Caramel Apple Martini, raise a glass to the happy couple, and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Martini recipe (courtesy FoodViva):

Ingredients

  • 30 ml (1 oz) Vodka
  • 60 ml (2 oz) Sour Apple Pucker
  • 60 ml (2 oz) Butterscotch Schnapps
  • 1 Maraschino Cherry
  • 1 cup Crushed Ice

Directions

  1. Fill up cocktail shaker half way through with crushed ice.
  2. Add all martini ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake for 30-35 seconds.
  3. Pour mixed drink through strainer into serving glass, drop cherry in it and serve.

As an added treat (as pictured courtesy of SocialifeNJ), try garnishing the rim of your glass with caramel and crushed almonds!